I think downtown Ottawa has the most solid canyons in Canada. No set backs and step ups here, barely any sidewalks either, just concentrated walls of concrete and glass. If you don't look up too high, you'd think you're in a huge city.

I would say Calgary takes the cake, we have one on pretty much every street downtown, especially 5th and 6th.

I haven't walked the streets of Calgary, but I wonder if Ottawa doesn't make up in number of buildings what they lack in height. It's pretty solid on every street.

Ottawa wins in this case IMO. Downtown has a very solid and almost uninterrupted wall just about every street. The buildings tend to fill out the entire envelope and open plazas at grade are a rarity (thanks in part to the lack of height if I had to guess). It also helps that the streets themselves tend to be a fair bit narrower than Calgary.

Ottawa wins in this case IMO. Downtown has a very solid and almost uninterrupted wall just about every street. The buildings tend to fill out the entire envelope and open plazas at grade are a rarity (thanks in part to the lack of height if I had to guess). It also helps that the streets themselves tend to be a fair bit narrower than Calgary.

Never been to Ottawa, but Calgary has some very high, very long canyons downtown, maybe I'll use google to get an idea when I have time.